Nightly Rituals
by shuramiyaki
Summary: Anderson and Maxwell went all over the world together, but some things didn't change no matter where they were.


The loud whirring of a hair dryer traveled all about the hotel room as Enrico performed his nightly rituals. Standing at the bathroom mirror he was finally getting his hair dry after the long time it took, and always took, to get it that way, and was performing the finishing touches when he heard the sounds of Anderson's heavy boots clop into the room.

"I assume you want to sleep with me tonight?" Enrico called out from the bathroom.

"Aye, Ah was aboot tae ask tha' as well." Anderson appeared in the bathroom doorway, completely taking up it's space as his shadow covered Enrico.

"Of course, I should known. I might as well stop buying suites with connecting rooms." Noticing the shadow, he looked up. "Must you stand so menacingly?"

"Whit? Ah'm joos' standin'."

"And blocking the doorway, excusi." Pushing Anderson out of the way he strode into the center of the room clad in only the towel around his waist. He walked over to his dresser and began to look through it, and sensing he was still being watched, looked up at Anderson with a tired look. "You're not even near ready for bed, have you even showered? "

"Nae."

Enrico sighed. "Then go do it. I'm not sleeping with a man who hasn't bathed for the whole day."

"Et's not loch Ah had th' chance, et's not mah fault th' jet ran sae late."

"True, sadly you lack the ability to control the weather-may I help you?"

Enrico turned his head and cocked an eyebrow at the man hovering over him. Anderson startled slightly from the sudden glare.

"Nothang, joos' wantin' tae see whit ye're doing."

"I'm looking for my nightwear you twit, what else would I be looking for my gun?"

Anderson held his chin and pondered for a moment. "Wit ye tha's actually ae possibility."

"Oh forget I said that." Enrico brushed the comment off with a hand and turned back to his searching. "I swear I put them in here…"

"Ye cuid always slape en th' nude."

Enrico clutched his forehead as Anderson quietly chuckled behind him. "You know on second thought I think I will start looking for my gun."

"O coom noo, et's not loch et's soomthang ye never dae." Leaning down, he wrapped his arms about Enrico's waist and pulled him close, nuzzling his scruffy face into the back of the man's soft, swan neck. "Ahn Ah'll beh happy tae join ye, loch Ah always dae." Anderson looked sideways to give Enrico a cheeky wink.

A sly smirk made it's way onto Enrico's lips. "Ah, the offer I could never refuse." Twirling around, he grasped Anderson's chin and looked him in the eye with a heady gaze. He could feel the unshaven skin shiver beneath the clutch of his slender fingers. "You a are a master negotiator. Maybe I should make you take my place in the negotiation room when I want a break yes?" Anderson purred as Enrico rubbed his cheek with his thumb.

"Ah dinnae think Ah cuid match oop tae yer fancy tongue." The relaxed man let his head tilt to the side falling into the palm of Enrico's hand with a contented smile on his face.

"Yes, it isn't a skill that seems very befitting to you, considering the, mistake, you made in your argument." His voice low and smooth, Enrico sidled up close, stretching up against that thick chest to dangle his tempting lips near the face of his now extremely interested subordinate.

"W-Whit, whit mistake was tha'?" Anderson stammered, the heat rising in his face as Enrico rubbed into him, stimulating a sensitive part of him and making him involuntarily groan.

"Let me just give you a moment to think." With a mischievous glint in his eye, he daintily nipped and nibbled at Anderson's jaw line, getting to hear those wonderful stifled gasps of pleasure.

"Ah, Ah cannae think when yer doing tha'." Hard nips near his Adam's apple made him stumble back in surprise with a sharp inhale of breath, and Enrico came right with him.

"No? Am I distracting you?" Cooing soothingly, he pulled Anderson's face near him to kiss his scar. "Do you want me to stop?"

Anderson shook his head dazedly. "Nae, nae dinnae."

"So I'm guessing that you can't come up with the fault in your argument?" Long fingers weaved themselves through Anderson's thick hair as Enrico brought his lips tantalizingly close. "Do you want me to just tell you?" He whispered, the hot puffs of breath tickling the whiskers on Anderson's chin.

"Aye tha' wuid beh luvely." Hardly paying attention, his eyes closed as he moved in for a kiss, but a firm swat to his face brought him back down to earth. His eyes clear, he found himself confronted with Enrico's humorless stare.

"You mistook me for a man that would sleep naked next to a man that smelled like a sweaty boar now go shower." With Anderson surprised, Enrico easily untangled himself and wiped his hands on his shirt with a huff. But before he could turn his head to deliver another cutting remark, Anderson had hurried off in a loud, frantic cacophony of heavy footsteps, ending with a careless slam to the shower door. A loud rush of water could be heard, and Enrico began to undress, knowing that he wouldn't be sleeping next to a sweaty boar tonight. A boar yes, but not a sweaty one.

The door to the bathroom opened and a rush of steam flew out across the floor, dissipating into the air as a naked Anderson walked out. Finishing the easy task of drying his hair, he tossed the towel on the floor and eagerly padded over to the bed where his counterpart was resting.

Out of habit, he approached the bed from the side nearest the door to the room, but found Enrico already lightly dozing in what was usually his spot. Confused, he shifted nervously where he stood as he debated what to do.

Taking in a deep inhale, he lowered himself down and began to gently, slowly, and carefully push Enrico to the other side of the bed with bated breath. The grumbling he heard made his stomach sink, knowing that his efforts had failed and what he now had to face.

Irritated and tired, Enrico propped himself up on his elbow and sneered at the man. "What do you think you're doing, Anderson?"

"Ye're on mah side."

"Your side? Since when did you control the sleeping arrangements?"

"Ye ken Ah 'ave tae sleep on this side Enrico. Ah cannae sleep ef Ah dinnae." Anderson's eyes became pleading, soft and gentle in contrast to the tired irritability reflected in Enrico's.

"I thought that was only at home."

"Et's everywhere." Anderson shrugged his shoulders. "Ah cannae control et." Et's tae deeply ingrained en meh."

After scrutinizing Anderson for a few moments more, Enrico sighed, and lifted the bed sheet in a welcoming gesture. "Fine, but you should have told me that that compulsion of yours applies everywhere before bed."

Enrico grunted and had to hold the bed for balance as Anderson practically jumped into the covers.

"Dammit Anderson be careful! Remember Avignon? Do you know how much that bed cost to replace?"

"They cheated ye, et's ae cheap bed ef et cannae hold ae full-grown man." Yawning loudly, Anderson settled and cuddled up under the covers, pulling them close to his body with a smile on his face.

"You're much than "full-grown", Anderson. You're overgrown. So be careful." Yawning as well, he turned over and curled up into the covers, but it only took a few seconds before he felt that familiar, warm hairy body pressing itself against his bare skin.

"Mmmmm…." A small smile crept up onto Enrico's lips as pillowy lips kissed his ear. "I don't understand why you insist on sleeping near the door, when you always sleep facing me."

"Ah git both o' both worlds then, th' ability tae sleep near ye ahn protect ye." His own voice becoming weary, he let his head fall softly on the pillow and cuddled Enrico's silky body close.

"Hmm, you know." Enrico twisted slightly with a grin on his face. "That someone or something could always come in through the window…Which I am very close to."

He suppressed a giggle as he felt Anderson suddenly tense around him instinctively. It was even funnier to watch the man lift his head and look around like a paranoid groundhog.

"Oh stop it, you're perfectly suited for any threat regardless of which direction you face while sleeping. I need to sleep, so lay back down."

"Boot Ah-Ompf!" Anderson hit the bed hard as he was tugged down forcefully by his shoulder.

Enrico, ignoring Anderson's cry of impact, casually lifted Anderson's arm back over him and sidled up closer until he was at the same degree of closeness they were at before.

"Ye're sae rough." Anderson huffed, but happily accepted his mate's desire to be near him. "Ahn at th' same time sae soft." He smiled, stroking the man's hair.

"Don't think you can figure me out that easily." His voice trailed off, the soft stroking making his eyes become unbearably heavy and his mind go into dormancy. "Lest you, ah, get too, comfortable…" His pernicious lips and silver tongue finally ceased speaking the second the man's eyelids fell, the only sound coming from him now being the soft breaths of slumber.

"Heh. Guidnight Enrico." Anderson kissed the side of Enrico's head before settling down himself, spooning Enrico as he slowly fell asleep. "Ah luv ye tae."


End file.
